Graphophone.



C. POTTS.

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@y M g KUN .I w VN h @N @mv rnv W. C. POTTS. GRAPHQPHONE. APPLICATION FILED Novgx, |916.

Patented June 12, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TQM Nw bw W. C. POTTS.

GRAPHOPHONE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 15. |915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

. Patented June 12, 1917.

W. C. POTTS.

GRAPHOPHONE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. l5, 1916.

.Incntvd Juno 12, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

,M www WILLIAM C. POTTS, IDF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRAPHOPH 0N E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented l une 12, 1917.

Application led November 15, 1916. Serial No. 131,485.

[o all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. POTTS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Harrisburg, county of Dauphin, and State of Pennsylvania, have in- `vented certain new and useful lmprovements in Graphophones, of which the fol-A lowing is a full and clear specification.

This invention relates to improvements in disk-record shitting mechanism for graphophones and has for its object to provide an apparatus which will automatically place, in succession, a plurality of sound records upon the rotating table of a talking machine. I.

A further object is 'to provide means for periodically winding the operating spring of the talking machine while the records are being changed, so that a predetermined number ofrecords can be played in sueces- .sion without manual cooperation.

i of Fig. 1;

Fig.` 6 is a detail perspective view of the improved pushing' lever;

Fig. 7 is a detail longitudinal section of an electric switch used in the apparatus;

Fig. 8 is a detail plan view of a portion of the apparatus showing the disk cabinet in section and one of the teeding lingers;

Fig. .9.is a. vertical sectional -view on the lino 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged side view partly in secticn ot one of the feedingliingers; and

F 11 and 12 are detail views illustrating the construction of the disk-engaging ends of l the feeding fingers.

Similar reference numerals in all of the figures of the drawings designate like parts.

Referring to the drawings, 15, 15` designatea series of vertical standards constituting part of a metal iframemounted upon a Suitable base ar cabinet 16 which semi-es a drawer 17 for the reception of surplus records. The metal frame is preferably constructed of tubing and its several sectlons are connected together by threaded nipples and elbows in the usual manner of connecting piping. This enables the frame to be constructed cheaply, as the sections can be cut in predetermined lengths and joined or assembled together by ineXpert workmen. It is understood that the base or cabinet 16 can be constructed in different y designs and contain a drawers if desired.

Also mounted on the base 16, intermediate the standards 15, 15", are the short standards 18, which, in cooperation with the standards 15', form a support for a. vertically-adjustable platform 19 which is adapted to support 'the graphophone 20. The graphophone can be any one of the well known' commercial devices having a rotating disk table 21, a pivoted tone-arm 22 and a Winding shaft A23.

To one side of great number of l he graphophone ris a record magazine 24 mounted to slide vertically on intermediate standards 25. This magazine 24 comprises a back 26 and slotted sides 27, and said sides are vadjustably secured to said back 26 by the slot and screw construction shown at '28. nSecured to the rear of the magazine, by brackets 32, is a supplemental back 29 provided With'a front rack-bar 30 and a sideraclebar 31, this supplemental back being slidably engaged by eyes 33 with the standards 25. A counter-balance weight 34 is provided for said magazine, the same being connected thereto by a cable or rope 35 which engages a pulley 36 mounted on the metal frame. The weight of the counterbalance is approximately equal to the weight of the magazine filled with records, 21nd,. in order to keep' the weight of the magazine and its counter-balance equal, should some of the records be removed, a sand-box 37 is secured to the back of the magazine having suitable openings through which sand can be added or Withdrawn when necessary.

The disks or records are shifted to and from the magazine and table by the lingers 38, one on each side of the apparatus, each of which embodies a head 39 pivoted to a stem 40 which is slidably mounted in transverse sleeve 41 carried by a. carriage 42 mounted to slide upon the horizontal guiderods 43 fixed between the standards 15]; and

15G These .fingers are normally Pressed er i ward each other into the path of the disks by 'springs 44 mounted on the stems 40 lietween the sleeves 41 and heads 39, and are prevented from rotating in their bearings by pins 45 secured to said stems 40, said pins 45 slidably engaging in slots 46 in the sleeves 41. Heads 39 are formed with upper and lower jaws 47 and 48, respectively, said lou-'er jaw having opposite upwardly and inwardly-inclined faces which are adapted to engage the edges of the disks to bodily lift them horizontally for a purpose hereinafter described. The heads are pivoted to the stems by the pivot bolts 49 and are retained in a. horizontal or vertical position by tightening the pivot bolts.

The carriages 42 are each preferably constructed with a series of metal Ts connected together with suitable nipples 50 andare reciprocated by the pitman rods 51 which are operated by the crank-wheels 52, and in turn these crank-wheels are driven by belts 53 engaging pulleys 54 on a drive-shaft 55 which is driven froma suitable electric motor 56 in any suitable manner.

The .initial or starting position of the carl riages 42 is at the rear of the magazine, as

shown in dotted lines at 57 in Fig. 2, and,

as they move forwardly, the feeding fingers 30 engage one of the disks and carry it, after slightly raising it, to a point directly over the center of the disk table 21, where 1t 1s 'stopped by the lugs 58 which are fixed to from which it was taken. After the disk is,

45 returned, the fingers and carriage continue their backward movement beyond the magazine and during their passage back of the,k

magazine, the pitman connections 60 engage the cam-levers 61, which are pivoted at 62 to the standards 15, and raise them and a pawl 63 carried thereby. The pawl engages the rack-bar 30 and consequently raises the magazine one step, or in a position to present the neXt succeeding disk in the path of `the feeding fingers. A pawl 64 is suitably pivoted to one of the standards 15 and is adapted to engage the rack-bar 31 to prevent a downward movement of the magazine while the pawl 63 is being lowered to engage the next lower tooth of its coperating rack-bar. An adjustable stop pin is mounted on one of the standards 15 and is adapted to engage one of the cam-levers 61 to limit the downward movement thereof. 65;'By adjusting this stop up or down, the

vwhich lies para' ramount of movement given to the paw] 63 n. can be regulated, thereby regulating the movement of the magazine so that the disks Thus, should the disks accidentally tip while changing their position, ythe guide-blocks will prevent them from being displaceih Vertical rods 67 depend from the guide` blocks '66 and are adapted to form holders for the disks to prevent them from being displaced from the magazine.

While a record or disk is being placed upon the disk table, the tone-arm 22 and its needle are, of course, elevated out of the way. In the present construction, the tonearm is held elevated by a chain 68 secured at its upper end to a transverse arm 69 which is pivoted upon a side-bar y70 of the main frame. Said transverse arm 69 has its free end secured to a curved portion 71 of a rod 72, which forms a cam on the free end of said rod which is pivoted at 73 to one of the standards 15. This rod 72 has a straight portion for a reater part of its length lglel with the guide-rods 43 and the curved'cam portion 71 at its outer 199 end which is curved upwardly. The rod 72 is vertically reeiprocated by the movement of one of the carriages through the rod connection 74, the same being connected rigidly at its lower end to said carriage and `slidably connected at its upper end to said t rod 72. Theupper end of rod 74 is formed with a loop or yoke 75 through which the rod 72 passesy and said yoke is preferably provided with a loose pulley or supporting roller 76 which engages the under side of the rod 72. As the carriage 42 which carries the rod 74 moves forwardly to deliver a disk upon the disk table, there is no downward movement of the tone-arm 22 until the yoke 75 engages the cam 71, and when that point .is reached, rod 72 moves downwardly carrying therewith the free end of said rod 69, consequently allowing the tone-arm to descend gradually upon the record disk.

To properly position the needle of the tone-arm upon the disk, an adjustable starting stop 77 is provided, the same comprising a slotted base lwhich is secured to the main casing and an inclined, vertically-disposed stop arm 78 (Fig. 5) a ainst which the tonearm is swunggand t en allowed to settle gradually and easily until the needle reaches the disk; The limit of swing of the toner arm is effected by the' adjustment ofA the 13o chain collars 79 and 8O which are adjustable upon the arm 69 and tone-arm 22, respectively. In practice, it is found preferable for best results to have the upper connection' of the chain 68 slightly beyond the lower connection, so that a slight pull ofthe tonearm in the direction of the stop 77 is secured. The cam portion of the rod 72 is suiiiciently high to allow a slight sla-ck of chain when the needle reaches the record, so that no perceptible pull is exerted upon the chain when the needle is crossing the record. The record is rotated in the usual manner by a spring located within` the casing of the graphophone, and the needle travels the grooves of the record 'in the ordinary way.

`When the needle reaches the end of the groove or a point slightly beyond the end, the tone-arm engages an extended arm 81 of an electric switch 82 and presses said arm down to close the switch. Immediately the motor 56 is started and the carriages are moved backwardly, and the roller 76 commences to lift the rod 72 which then raises the tone-arm and the needle from the record, so that the feeding fingers can engage'and .lift the record from the disk table and deliver it back to the magazine. When the tone-arm needle is lowered to the record, the electric switch is disconnected automatically by a chain 83 which is operated by the downward movement of the cam rod 72, said chain 83 passing over a pulley 84 mounted on the main frame and having its ends connected respectively to the end of said rod 72 and the electric switch. Both chains or flexible connections 63 and 83 are provided with turn-buckles 85 for regulating their length. Switch 82 has its base mounted adjacent the casing .of the graphophone and said base is preferably hinged at 86 and provided. with an adjusting screw 87 by which said base can be adjustedto andfroin its support and pivoted yoke 88. Thepivoted yoke 88 is lifted by the chain 83, the lower end of said chain being provided with a collar 89 mounted adjustably on the inner end of the eX- tended arm 81. By adjusting saidvcollar on said rod 81, the degree of sparationbetween the electric contacts can be regulated to a nicety.

To limit the movement of the tone-arm after the record has been played, an end-stop 90 is providedx This stop is preferably formed with a horizontal arm secured at one end to one of the standards 15', and having' of the apparatus, as experiments have developed the fact that the tone-arm and needle are inclined to drag and jump the groove without it. Furthermore, it has been found necessary to provide this pusher 91 to force thetone-arm beyond the finishing end of the record to engage the end-stop' 90, which is so positioned that records of different lengths can be played. Thus, with either a short or a long record, the tone-arm and its needle do not stop when the finishing end of the groove is reached, but are pushed farther along to engage the end-stop 90 and arm 81 of the electric switch to start the motor. Thus it will be seen that this apparatus is adapted to receive and play successfully either long or short records. As clearly seen in Fig. 6 of the drawings, said pusher 91 is preferably formed with a standard 92 (which is angular'gin cross-section) hinged to the top of the main casing of the grapho-v phone. Fitted -upon the standard 92 is a tubular pusher-arm 93 whichhas an angular socket at its lower end to receive the angular standard, so that the pusher-arm 93 is mounted non-rotatably. The upper end of' the pusher-arm 93 is screw-threaded at 94 to receive a weight-carrier 95 which is adjustable around the pusher-arm to change the center of gravity of the pusher, so that,`

when the tonearm is swung to the starting position, its engagement with the stop 77 can be regulated to a vnicety to prevent abrupt contact. The pusher-arm normally rests in an inclined position against the tonearm and its tendency to fall pushes it against the tone-arm to force it toward the end-stop 90. At the starting point the inclination of the push-arm is regulated by the gravity changing weight, which can be so adjusted to position the push-arm slightly inclined and at the same time in a balanced position. A. stop 96 can be provided to prevent the pusher `from being thrown backward.

When a graphophone is first placed in the apparatus, the usual winding crank is removed and a pulley 97 substituted. This pulley is connected by belting 98 with a pulley 99 mounted on the drive shaft 55. The tension of belt 98 is regulated by the belttightener 100, and the degree of tension given is only sufhcient to allow the belt to slip when the graphophone spring is wound. Thus every time the motor 56 is started to operate the disk-shifting mechanism, the spring will be wound, if needed,

In operation, the magazine is provided with as many records as is desired and then counterbalanced by adding or removing weight from the box 37. The magazine is then positioned with 4the uppermost record in horizontal alinement with the disk table and with the feeding carriages preferably to the rear of the magazine. The motor is now started by closing the line switch 101.

Immediately the carriages and feeding fingers move forwardly the spring mechanism commences to wind 'the spring, the record is engaged, lifted, and carried until stopped bythe lugs 58, when the fingers will continue their forward movement, the record will drop on the disk table, and at the same time 'the tone-arm and needle will lbey lowered to playing position. The grapho.n

f the needle is lowered, the playing starts.

llaying continues until the end of the record is reached, when the tone-arm-is pushed against the end-stop 9() and at the same time on the arm 81 of the switch, depressing the same and closing the circuit to the motor, which starts the carriages and feeding fingers backwardto lift the record from 'the disk table and deliver it to its place in the magazine. As the record is placed in the magazine, the carriages engage the cam-y arin 61, thereby operating the pawl 63y toy elevate the magazine one step, so that the neXt record in order is placed in horizontal alinement with the disk table to be carried thereto by the fingers. This operation continues successively until the switch 101 is opened.

Sometimes it is desired to repeat the record' on a disk; to do this, the heads 39 of the feeding fingers are turned to inoperative position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 10, and the pawl 63 is thrown back. In this position of the parts, the magazine will notr be elevated, nor will the record disk on the table be disturbed, but the carriages will move back and forth, the tone-arm and nee-v dle will be shifted, and the spring will be wound as before stated. Thus one 'record can be automatically repeated as often as desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination with a graphophone having a recordreceiving table, a main frame, a magazine mounted on said frame to one side of said table and constructed to support a plurality of records with their opposite edges projecting beyond its sides, a reciprocating means mounted to slide on said frame and adapted to engage the projecting edges of said records successively to bodily shift them back and forth between said magazine and table, and an elevating means embodying pivoted cam-arms conmessie nected 'together mounted on said frame and carrying a pivoted pawl in engagement with said magazine and radapted to be operated by said reciprocating means for vertically adjusting the magazine. f

2. 1n combination with a graphophone having a record-receiving table, a main frame, a magazine provided with front and side rack bars mounted on said frame to one side of said table and constructed to supporta plurality of records with their opposite edges projecting beyond its sides, a reciprocating means mounted to slide lon said frame and adapted to engage the projecting edges of said records successively to bodily shift them back and forth between said magazine and table, an elevating means mounted on said frame and embodying piv-r oted cam-arms carrying a pawl which engages one of the rack bars on the magazine to raise the same, said elevating means being adapted to be operated by said reciprocating means, and a second pawl pivoted to said framefin engagement with the remaining rack bar to'retain the magazine in its adjusted positions.

` 3. In combination with a graphophone having a record-receiving table, and a tonearm pivoted for horizontal and vertical movements, a main frame, a verticallyad justable record magazine mounted on said frame, a reciprocating 'means for shifting ysaid records successively back and forth between said ymagazine and table, a rod pivoted to said frame having a flexible connection with said tone-arm, and an operating means on said reciprocating means for vertically moving said pivoted rod to raise and lower said tone-arm from and to said table.

4. In combination with a graphophone having a record-receiving table and a tonearm pivoted for horizontal and vertical movements, a main frame, a vertically-adjustable record magazine mounted on said frame, a reciprocating means for shifting said records successively back and forth between said magazine and table, a rod pivoted to said frame having a flexible connection with said tone-arm, and an operating means on said reciprocating means for vertically moving said pivoted rod to raise and lowerk said tone-arm from and to ksaid table, said operating means embodying a rod connection having a sliding connection at its upper end with said pivoted rod.

5. In combination with a graphophone having a record-receiving table and a tonearm pivoted for horizontal and vertical movements, a main frame, ak vertically adjustable record magazine mounted on said frame, a reciprocatin means for shifting said records successive. y back and forth between said magazine and table, a rod pivoted to said frame provided with a curved portion forming a cam on one end and having a fleXi- 13@ ble connection with `said tone-arm, and an operating means on said reciprocating means for vertically moving said pivoted rod to raise and lower said tone-armlfrom and to said table.

6. In combination with a graphophone having a record-receiving table and a tonearm4 pivoted for horizontal and vertical movements, a main frame, a vertically-adjustable record magazine mounted on `said frame, a reciprocating means for shifting said records successively back and forth between said magazine and table, a rod pivoted to said frame provided with a curved portion forming a cam on one end, a pivoted transverse arm having one end secured to said curved portion. of the pivoted rod and having a flexible connection with said tonearm, and an operating means on said reciprocating means for vertically moving said pivoted rod to raise and lower said tone-arm from and to said table. i

7. In combination with a graphophone having a record-receiving table and a tonearm pivoted for horizontal and vertical movements, a main frame, a vertically-adjustable record magazine mounted on said frame, a `reciprocating means for shifting said records successively back and forth between said magazine and table, arod pivoted to said frame provided with a curved portion forming a cam on one end, a pivoted transverse arm having one end secured to said curved portion of the pivoted rod and having an adjustable flexible connection with said tone-arm, and an operating means on said reciprocating means for vertically moving said pivoted rod to raise and lower said tone-arm from and to said table.'v f

8. In combination with aA graphophone having a record-receiving table and a tonearm pivoted for horizontal and vertical movements, a main frame, a vertically-adjustable record vmagazine mounted on said frame, a reciprocatin means for shifting said records successive y baclr and forth between said magazine and table, a rod pivoted to said frame having a flexibleconnection with said tone-arm, an operating means on said reciprocating means for vertically moving said pivoted rod to raise and lower said' tone-arm from and to said table, and stops on said graphophone for limiting the lateral movement of said tone-arm in both directions.

9. In combination with a graphophone having a record-receiving tableand a tonearm pivoted for horizontal and vertical movements, a main frame, a vertically-adjustable record magazine mounted on said frame, a reciprocating means for shifting said records successively back and forth between said magazine and table a rod pivoted to said frame having a Hexi le connection with said tone-arm, an operating means on said reciprocating means for vertically moving said pivoted rod to raise and lower said tone-arm from and to said table, and stops on said graphophone for limiting the lateral movement of said tone-arm in both directions, one of said stops being adjustable to an from said table to position the tone-arm at the starting point of the records.

l0. In combination with a graphophone having a record-receiving table anda tonearm pivoted for horizontal and 'vertical movements,a main frame, a vertically-adjustable record magazine mounted on said. frame, a 'reciprocating means for shifting said records successively back and forth between said magazine and table, a rod pivoted to said frame having a flexible connection with said tone-arm, an operating means on said reciprocating means for vertically moving said pivoted rod to raise and lowerI said tone-arm from and to said table, and stops on said graphophone for limiting the lateral movement of said tone-arm in both directions, one of said stops being inclined upwardly and inwardly and adjustable to and from said table to position the tone-arm at the starting point of the records.,

l1. .In combination with a graphophone having a record-receiving table and a tonearm pivoted for horizontal and vertical movements, a main frame, a vertically-adjustable record magazine mounted on said frame, a reciprocating means for shifting said records successively back and forth between said magazine and table, a rod pivoted to said frame having a {iexible connection with said tone-arm, an operating means on said reciprocating means for vertically moving said pivoted rod to raise and lower said tone-arm from and to said table, a motor for operating said reciprocating means, and a motor control means adapted to be operated by said tone-arm at the end of its inward movement.

12. In combination with a graphophone having a record-receiving table and a tonearm pivoted for horizontal and vertical movements, a main frame, a vertically-adjustable record magazine mounted on said frame, a reciprocating means for shifting said records successively back and forth between said magazine and table, a rod pivoted to said frame having a flexible connection with said tone-arm, an operating means on said reciprocating means for vertically moving said pivoted rod to raise and lower said tone-arm from and to said table, a push-arm forv said tone-arm, a motor for operating said reciprocating means, and a motor control means adapted to be operated by said tone-arm at the end of its inward movement.

13. In combination with a graphophone having a record-receiving table, a spring for rotating said table, a winding shaft for said spring, and a tone-arm pivoted for horizontal and vertical movements, a main frame, record-shifting means mounted thereon for supplying in succession a plurality of records to said record-receiving table and operating said tone-arm, a motor for operating said record-shifting means and having a driving connection with said winding shaft, and^a motor control means adapted to be operated by said tone-arm at the rend of its inward movement.

14. In a machine of the class set forth, a

gramophone embodying a record-receiving' table, a record magazine vertically movable with respect to said table and arranged at one side thereof, record-carrying means provided with record-grasping devices adapted to frictionally engage the record at diametrically opposite sides to enable them to slip past the record, means for reciprocating said record-carrying means together with its record-grasping devices to shift said recordgrasping devices from a point beyond the magazine to a point beyond the center of the record-receiving table, and means on the magazine and gramophone for limiting they travel of the record in each direction and to allow the record-grasping devices to slip past the record.

15. The structure defined in claim 14, said record-grasping means consisting of a pair of inwardly-extending fingers constructed to lift the record upwardly 0H the record-table pin during the movement of the carriage-- means toward the magazine.

16. The structure defined in claim 14, said record-grasping means consisting of a pair of inwardly-extending fingers having V- shaped notches in their ends, for the purpose set forth.

17. In combination with a gramophone having a record-receiving table, a record magazine and means for vertically shifting messie Lbeyond the magazine operates the magazineshifting devices, and means whereby' the movement of the carriage-means beyond the center of the record table lowers the tonearm to the record.

18. In combination witha spring-actuated gramophone havinga record-receiving table, a record magazine and means for vertically shifting it, a carriage-means carrying devices for grasping the record at diametrically opposite points, means for shifting the carriage-means horizontally from a point beyond the magazine to a point beyond the center of the record-receiving table, the record-grasping means being adapted to release the record as the carriage-means passes the magazine and also as it passes the record table in going in the opposite direction,

meansk whereby movement of the carriagemeans beyond the magazine operates the magazine-shifting devices, means whereby the movement of the carriage-means beyond the center of the record table vlowers the tone arm to the record, motor means for winding the spring of the gramophone, and f devices whereby this motor is actuated to wind this spring during the movement of the carriage-means. f

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

'WILLIAM C. POTTS. 

